Apocalypse: Purple Fog

Chapter 3: Shirley Is Getting Desperate

Slave Recruitment:

"Stop wasting time. Send the photo."

C Block #3301 Softheart:

“…Can I trade a gold necklace for a pack of instant noodles?”

Slave Recruitment:

"I don’t want a gold necklace. Send a full-body photo immediately, or I’ll block you."

Shirley Inr hesitated, the weight of her decision pressing heavily upon her. Her phone vibrated again, urging her to act swiftly. After what felt like an eternity, she sent the photo.

In the image, Shirley stood before the camera with an expression of quiet resignation. Her black, silky hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her elegant features. Her light green silk nightgown accentuated her pallor, a testament to the hunger gnawing at her insides. Yet, even in such dire straits, her beauty shone through.

A system window materialized before James, assessing the photo with mechanical detachment:

[Shirley Inr]

Age: 25

Quality: 9/10 (Elegant and refined)

Virtue: 10/10 (Virgin)

Overall Score: 9/10

[Ding! Meets system requirements!]

James smirked in satisfaction, an unsettling gleam in his eyes.

Slave Recruitment:

"Alright, come to my place."

C Block #3301 Softheart:

“…Can I go back home to sleep at night?”

Slave Recruitment:

"No. This is a trade—you have to live here. Are you coming or not? Don’t waste my time."

Once again, silence followed. James knew the pause meant she was still hesitating.

Fine, starve then. It’s not like I’m hungry, he thought, pushing Shirley from his mind to return to his video-watching.

One particular live stream caught his attention, showing a group of four men venturing into the transformed cityscape, desperate to forage for food. James’s eyes glued to the screen, eager to learn more about the world beyond his window.

The camera showed an extreme makeover of the urban environment—dense wild grass taller than an adult's thigh covered what were once bustling streets. Brown, ancient roots had burst from beneath the asphalt, twisting skyward like iron spikes, suggesting that vehicular travel was now impossible. Any hope for large-scale military rescues seemed naive.

“No vehicles can get through anymore. There won’t be any large-scale military rescues. We’re on our own…” the streamer said grimly.

The camera panned to a banyan tree that swelled from the pavement. Its trunk was so massive, it would take multiple people to encircle it fully. The tree continued skyward, disappearing into the ominous red mist above.

As the group meandered through what was now a primitive forest, the camera recorded plants that dwarfed the men, turning them into small figures in a land of giants. The once-bustling roads were deserted, abandoned cars trapped in webs of vines.

Suddenly, a gargantuan cat leaped silently from above and attacked one of the men. A single swipe from its paw killed its prey instantly.

“Holy sh*t!”

“Help!”

“Run! Run!”

Panic ensued as the remaining trio scattered, the footage devolving into chaos. As the camera fell, its lens smeared with blood, the screen went black.

James Lon’s expression darkened. The outside world was a cauldron of dangers, more treacherous than any could have imagined.

Meanwhile, Shirley Inr clutched her phone, nerves taut as she teetered on a precipice of desperation. She picked it up, then set it down repeatedly, uncertainty gnawing at her resolve.

"I have no other choice," she whispered to herself.

Her parents, away on a vacation, were unreachable, their return uncertain. Two days had passed since she’d last eaten. The previous two days had been a torment, subsisting only on water.

Initially, she held contempt for [Slave Recruitment], convinced that she could brave starvation rather than lower herself to such debasement. But hunger had its own relentless logic, grinding away pride and pretense.

Her stomach churned with the sensation of shattered glass grinding against its walls—painful, insistent, and undeniable.

After enduring another agonizing stretch of time, Shirley couldn’t bear it any longer. Her fingers moved almost against her will.

C Block #3301 Softheart:

"Can I really eat as much as I want?"

James noticed the message but deliberately left her inquiries unanswered. Brows arching in silent satisfaction.

Oh, now you want to talk? His mind dripped with sarcasm. Let her stew for a bit longer.

Shirley lay awake, anxiety filling the space where hope had died. Sleep eluded her, chased away by the relentless pangs of hunger. She tossed and turned, enduring another restless night.

Not far from Sunshine Garden, in a rented apartment, Jackie Won lazily sprawled on the sofa, his face a mask of petulance as he scrolled through his phone.

"Sis, I’m starving. Can we eat now?" he whined.

Anna Karenina, standing at the fridge with growing unease, turned to him.

"Alright," she relented, begrudgingly taking stock of their dwindling supplies.

The fridge was a barren wasteland. Only a few packs of instant noodles, two cans of luncheon meat, and a couple of marinated eggs remained, the last threadbare remnants of plenty.

Anna’s chest tightened with dread. Jackie was the family’s sole heir—allowing him to starve wasn’t an option.

With great reluctance, she withdrew a pack of instant noodles and a marinated egg.

After a quick preparation, she served the meager meal, splitting it into two bowls. Hers was sparse, only a few bites, while Jackie’s bowl held the lion’s share, alongside the egg.

Jackie frowned at his portion, eyes narrowing.

"What’s this? I’m still hungry."

Anna’s voice came gently, trying to manage his expectations. "Jackie, we have to be careful. We're almost out."

"Out of food?!" Panic paled Jackie’s features. "Then what are we going to do? Sis, you have to get more!"

Buy? Anna almost laughed at the absurdity, eyes unwillingly drifting to the window.

The purple mist loomed like an executioner's hood outside, shrouding the world in fear.

Just yesterday, she had witnessed a rat—the size of a cat—scurrying through that haze!

Driven by desperation, her mind landed on James Lon. He surely had leftover stock from Fatty Eric's forced purchases...

Anna bristled with frustration.

That man hasn't even offered me help in these trying times. Just because we broke up?

Fingers seething with resentment, she dialed James’s number.

When James saw Anna’s name flash on the caller ID, a sardonic laugh escaped him. Relinquishing his boredom, he answered the call.

"James Lon!" The voice that came through the line was sharp, accusatory, and laced with the kind of cold self-righteousness only Anna could muster.

James couldn’t help but smile wryly, memories of Anna cascading over his thoughts. Once, he had been mesmerized by her beauty, but now all he could remember was her air of unattainable haughtiness.

Looking back, how had he been so blinded to fall for such an ice queen?

"What do you want?" James’s voice was icy, devoid of any warmth.

Anna, taken aback by his coldness, launched into an indignant tirade:

"Why haven’t you sent me food yet?"

James’s chuckle was a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

After she graduated and aimed to become a judge, he had shouldered double shifts, working days as a taxi driver and nights at the convenience store to support her. Three years of sacrifice, only for her to dump him when she deemed him beneath her newly achieved "class."

"Send you food? You?" James retorted, refusing to mask the sarcasm. "We’re broken up. Remember?"

Caught off guard, Anna faltered. James’s defiance was unexpected. The tides were changing.

"James Lon!" she protested, voice climbing in pitch. "Break up? That was just a test! I hadn’t meant it. And now you’re already looking for other women?"

James’s laugh this time was caustic.

"A test? No more tests needed. We are definitely not in the same class."

Anna's frustration boiled over into fiery indignation, eyes narrowing as she pressed on:

"Does that even matter? What’s important is your attitude! Think about..."

With a deliberate “click,” James severed the call.

Dare to hang up on me? Anna seethed with anger.

Jackie Won hastened to her side, voice climbing with unease. "Sis, so where’s the food?"

Anna forced a calm she didn’t feel, masking her anxiety with feigned composure:

"Don’t worry, James will call back."

Inwardly, she assured herself, cursing her ex-boyfriend’s defiance as an aberration. He’d never once raised his voice to her; surely, a hint of reconciliation would bend him to her will.

Jackie, apparently entertained by his sister's dilemma, grinned mischievously. "So your ex-boyfriend’s a real pushover, huh?"

"Ex-boyfriend?" Anna snorted, tossing the words back. Soon, she’d be revered as a judge! How could she ever revisit affairs with a mere convenience store clerk?

"He can come crawling, but he’s not worthy of me." Her voice brimmed with condescension.

Jackie chuckled. "Alright, sis, when he grovels, make him send all his supplies. Don't leave him anything!"

Anna's demeanor shifted to a calculated thinking posture. "Well, James isn’t completely foolish. I won’t get everything, but most of it, maybe."

"I’ve got an idea," Jackie suggested, eyes gleaming with cunning. "Tell him the government is launching a large-scale rescue soon. Keeping too much food is pointless."

Anna pondered, considering the tactic, and ultimately conceded with a sly nod. "Alright."